As people around the world celebrate a new year, life goes on. People still head in to work. Babies are born. Couples make love. Milk gets spilled in the kitchen. And people die.

Tornadoes, ignoring the fact that December 31 is supposed to be a festive occasion, touched down in northern Arkansas and southern Missouri this evening killing 6 people, injuring scores more and causing significant property damage. I'm certain those people affected by these storms aren't feeling festive at all!

There is nothing wrong with a celebration. It represents one of the mechanisms we humans utilize to mark the passage of time and/or to remember important milestones. A life bereft of joy and happiness is a life that will not reach its full potential.

But we must always remember that, regardless of the date on a calendar, life goes on and parts of each life aren't always so festive. When you lift your cup to the new year, please remember those who no longer have a cup to raise.

Unlike a lot of people, I've never been one to make New Year's resolutions. Don't really see the point in it. A lot of folks spend a great deal of thought making these long lists and, in a few short weeks or months, they forget about them or they throw up their hands because they aren't making much progress.

I don't think Lao Tzu or Chuang Tzu would favor the making of such resolutions. Both stressed living in the moment and allowing the future to take care of itself. This is not to suggest that we live our lives as if we have blinders on, but, if you want to be successful in the future, you need to begin the first step now.

For me, I think this underscores the inherent problem with resolutions. We look far off into the horizon at some distant objective. Because the target is so far away, it gives us the ready-made excuse to begin to work on the issue on some future day...a future day that often never comes.

If there is change in your life that you wish to make, then make it today. When and if tomorrow comes, then you can repeat the process. Take it one step at a time and quit worrying so much about the final objective.

We're coming to the end of the season marked by holiday "cheer." Soon, children will return to school and, those WITH jobs (lucky enough to have taken a few days off around the holidays) will return to the daily grind. Was this a cheery time of year for you?

In all honesty, I haven't felt very cheery. I find it difficult to put up that facade with so much ugliness in the world. Too many US troops are forced away from their loved ones. Too many families in places like Iraq and Afghanistan have been torn apart by the vestiges of war.

Despite these endemic problems, we Americans are far better off than many of our brethren throughout the world. Unlike far too many people, most of us don't go to bed hungry, we have a stable roof over our heads and we can utilize some form of health care, inadequate as it may be, to ward off sickness.

If a person can avert their eyes from these types of problems and more, then I guess being cheery ain't so difficult. I will admit that I'm not very good at averting my eyes!

In and of itself, intelligence isn't a bad thing. Intelligent people are more apt to look at all sides of an issue or situation before drawing conclusions. Intelligent people are more likely to work to insure they communicate ideas and concepts in a way that other people can understand. Many intelligent people work to nurture intelligence in others.

But far too many people place IQ -- an external measurement of one form of intelligence -- on a pedestal. They lord their brainpower over others. They utilize their intellectual powers to create disharmony through manipulation, half-truths, and flat out lying. Intelligence becomes nothing more than a tool to satisfy their own desires. (If truth be known, this describes most of us!!)

When we live in accord with Tao, we possess a natural intelligence that can't be measured. While to the outside world we may appear simple-minded, we do what needs doing simply because it needs doing. We don't have to "think" what needs to be done; we know.

To view the Index page for this series to see what you may have missed or would like to read again, go here.

There seems to be a big hubbub because President Obama called the owner of the Philadelphia Eagles professional football team to thank him for giving quarterback Michael Vick a second chance. Tucker Carlson of Fox News went so far as to say that he didn't think Vick should have been given anything; Carlson thought Vick should have been executed for his crime!

For those of you who live outside of the US (or folks in the US who live in a cave), Vick was convicted in 2007 for his participation in an illegal dogfighting enterprise. He served 21 months in federal prison and lost millions of dollars in salary and endorsements.

As an animal lover, I was sickened over the whole affair and I thought it was appropriate that Vick was punished. But the man paid is debt to society and so I think what Obama did was laudatory.

Prison wasn't enough for a lot of people. They have continued to harass Vick. There have been protests at the stadiums where his team has played. And there are knuckleheads like Carlson who seem to want an eye-for-an-eye.

As with many things in this nation, I think much of the outrage over Vick's crimes has to do with the fact he is black! I simply do not believe that a star white quarterback would have been subjected to this amount of vitriol. (Check out this interesting article.)

While the racial aspect bothers me a great deal, what truly raises my hackles is that many of the same people who want Vick's head don't exhibit the same amount of outrage in other instances in which one or more persons are guilty of crimes of murder or widespread destruction.

These same people don't call for the head of one George W. Bush, a man responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. You don't hear them demanding the incarceration of BP executives who are chiefly responsible for destroying an entire ecosystem -- think of all the wildlife their recklessness doomed. (Why are the deaths of dogs so abhorrent, yet these folks register hardly a peep in defense of dead dolphins, sea turtles, shrimp, etc.?)

And you don't hear many of these same people calling for the vigorous prosecution of all the various government officials and big moneyed interests who, in their singular pursuit of greed, have brought most of the world to its financial knees!!

No, all their hate-filled rhetoric is focused on one black man (well, two, if we include the president).

After a day’s reflection, the same monk asked, “Since all that I am is an expression of Tao, how is it that I feel separate from Tao?”

“This is because you feel separate from Tao.”

As the monk began to speak again, Zhouzi put up his hand and said, “Stop! Are you so sharp that you have already mastered the meaning of this reply? Reflect, and ask anon, if needs be.”

The following day the same monk declared, “Since feeling separate from Tao is an expression of Tao, then in the feeling itself is union with Tao. And thus the feeling does cease.”

“You have discovered the knack of our crafty speech, though I dispute it not,” replied Zhouzi. “But like the youth who imagines the marriage bed, you cannot know the reality until you have wed. Yet just as the promptings of the body soon lead to that day, so might your yearning for unity make these words true for you. Yet the yearning itself is the same as the perceived lack.”

If you're interested in reading more from this series by Scott Bradley, go here. To check out more of Scott's writings, please visit TRT's shadow blog and look in the Table of Contents in the left sidebar.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king: Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.~ King James version ~

True wisdom teaches that simplicity and humility are the way of the sage.~ possible Taoist alternative ~

God not only gives Solomon "wisdom and knowledge" but, because Solomon didn't request grandeur as well, God throws that in as a bonus.

The sage knows that wealth and honor are bound up in desire. How ever much we possess, we want more. The sage has no use for such pretensions. A simple life without vain encumbrances leaves the heart much more open to Tao.

For me, Verse 18 is one of my favorites. In a scant 8 lines, it presents a radically different worldview than the average westerner is accustomed to. In fact, it takes many of our time-honored notions and turns them on their head!!

From the Christian standpoint, morality is the basis of leading a "good" life. From this standpoint, if no morality existed, then it would be an ugly dog-eat-dog world, one in which we each would give in to our carnal lusts at the expense of others.

But from the standpoint of Lao Tzu, via the concept of yin and yang, all morality gives birth to is immorality. As soon as external rules are created, they inherently create the mechanisms by which we scheme to get around them.

When we permit the essence of the Way to permeate our lives, we seek harmony and balance in all we do and think. We don't act because we're trying to toe the line; we act because it fits into the flow of life around us.

To view the Index page for this series to see what you may have missed or would like to read again, go here.

Humble words and increased preparations are signs that the enemy is about to advance. Violent language and driving forward as if to the attack are signs that he will retreat.~ from The Art of War, Giles translation ~

Go here to read the introductory post to the verses of The Art of War.

The other combatant, having heard of his opponent’s redemption and seen a new joy in his mien, likewise came and stood before Zhouzi and said, “Master, as hard as I try, I cannot improve. Please help me to grow, for otherwise I must descend into despair.”

“So what?” answered Zhouzi. “Descend where you wish. It’s all the same to me.”

When the anguishing monk made no reply, Zhouzi continued, “How can you be whole when you wish to become? You cannot become what you already are. Descend into hell or ascend into heaven, wherever you go is Reality. If it’s Reality you seek, be where you are. The change that you seek will come when you seek it no more. There is no control to lose if no attempt to control. The life that is you needs none of your help.”

“How you have made me blabber!” blurted Zhouzi. “You work in the garden? Exchange duties with he who cleans the privies! And come see me again same time next week!”

If you're interested in reading more from this series by Scott Bradley, go here. To check out more of Scott's writings, please visit TRT's shadow blog and look in the Table of Contents in the left sidebar.

When there is dust rising in a high column, it is the sign of chariots advancing; when the dust is low, but spread over a wide area, it betokens the approach of infantry. When it branches out in different directions, it shows that parties have been sent to collect firewood. A few clouds of dust moving to and fro signify that the army is encamping.~ from The Art of War, Giles translation ~

Go here to read the introductory post to the verses of The Art of War.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great?~ King James version ~

Don't put the cart before the horse.~ possible Taoist alternative ~

Solomon tells God that what he wants most is "wisdom and knowledge" in order to justly rule the people.

Wisdom and knowledge without experience are hollow and useless. Knowledge and experience are the precursors of wisdom, though not everyone will develop wisdom from the two. It should be remembered that we often learn more from our missteps than anything else.

One of my all-time favorite movies is "The Sound of Music" (1965). While some movies try to follow the general historical arc of the principles involved -- with only a few alterations to help the story along -- the story of the [von] Trapp Family Singers is not one of these. Though this film has been beloved for over 40 years, it can only be said to very, very loosely follow the real-life history of this family.

For example, in the film, the oldest child is Liesl (played by Charmian Carr). In fact, she was the eldest girl, but her brother, Rupert (Friedrich in the film) was the eldest child. The character of Liesl was based upon the real-life Agathe and she died yesterday at age 97. That leaves only one of the original members left.

As most Americans know, the official unemployment rate has hovered around 10.0% for far too long. What far too many Americans don't know is that the official figure is nowhere near the actual figure! The difference involves a conscious sleight of hand on the part of our government and it's just as true under Obama today as it was with the previous administration.

You see, the 99ers (people out of work for 99 consecutive weeks or more) aren't counted. People who have given up looking for work altogether aren't counted either. And former full-time employees who have only been able to wrangle piddly part-time work (as little as 10/week, I believe) aren't counted as well. Consequently, the "official" number discount a significant amount of people and, thus, is nowhere near the true figure.

A recent decision might, on first appearance, seem to indicate that the "official" statistics will soon dovetail more readily with the true situation.

So many Americans have been jobless for so long that the government is changing how it records long-term unemployment.

Citing what it calls "an unprecedented rise" in long-term unemployment, the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), beginning Saturday, will raise from two years to five years the upper limit on how long someone can be listed as having been jobless.

The move could help economists better measure the severity of the nation's prolonged economic downturn...

Oh, but don't get your hopes up. While the broader definition will help researchers STUDY the situation,

The change will not affect how the unemployed are counted or the unemployment rate is computed nor how long those eligible for unemployment benefits receive them...

Movement amongst the trees of a forest shows that the enemy is advancing. The appearance of a number of screens in the midst of thick grass means that the enemy wants to make us suspicious.~ from The Art of War, Giles translation ~

Go here to read the introductory post to the verses of The Art of War.

The word late yesterday from MasterCard Advisors' SpendingPulse that consumers spent 5.5 percent more this holiday season than in 2009 is perhaps one of the best economic indicators we've had in months...

Of course, the mainstream media (I'm sure the federal government too) has chosen to interpret this data in a particular way. It could very well mean that America is turning the corner on the current economic slump. Since consumer spending fuels our economy, it could very well mean brighter prospects for 2011 and beyond.

However, it could also very well mean nothing of the sort. The first thing I note is that the information is coming from a credit card company. If people are buying things on credit, it probably means they don't have the disposable cash available to make those same purchases. So, they are buying things now in the hope that things will turn around and they can pay off the balance later.

Some people, in fact, may be hurting so bad that they don't expect they will be able to pay off the balance. They simply wanted one last hurrah before they go under completely.

With the official unemployment rate still hovering around 10.0%, the housing industry still slumping, very little consumer lending going on and prices continuing to creep up, it is hard to believe that consumer confidence is rebounding. Consequently, the second scenario -- not the first -- seems like the more realistic assessment.

But don't expect to hear such a notion from the lips of the mainstream media or our elected officials!! They jointly want everyone to believe that everything is a-ok.

How irresolute did those (earliest rulers) appear, showing (by their reticence) the importance which they set upon their words! Their work was done and their undertakings were successful, while the people all said, 'We are as we are, of ourselves!'~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

The Masters don't give orders;they work with everybody else.When the job's done,people are amazed at what they accomplished.~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

When all the tools are available and the framework has been laid, people tend not to need direction nor instruction in getting things done. They see what is before them and then they do it!

This method is how we can help along successful conclusions WITHOUT actively directing them. It is by nurturing ourselves and others. It is by respecting and trusting ourselves and others. And it is by identifying the contours of the flow of life and moving with that flow that we find we can accomplish much without extraneous effort.

To view the Index page for this series to see what you may have missed or would like to read again, go here.

When the enemy is close at hand and remains quiet, he is relying on the natural strength of his position. When he keeps aloof and tries to provoke a battle, he is anxious for the other side to advance. If his place of encampment is easy of access, he is tendering a bait.~ from The Art of War, Giles translation ~

Go here to read the introductory post to the verses of The Art of War.

One of the senior monks espied another monk, who had been a recent combatant in a fight in the garden, attempting to sneak away. Accosting him, he convinced him not to add cowardice to folly, and to meet with Zhouzi to inform him of his departure.

Standing before Zhouzi he said, “Master, I have brought disgrace upon myself and the community. No matter how hard I try, I cannot control myself. Please, I request permission to leave.”

Zhouzi replied, “Of course you may leave. And good riddance, too! For even now you pollute my chamber with your talk of ‘disgrace’ and ‘control’ and ‘trying’! But it’s too late! Now I am polluted by this talk of pollution! I will go with you, for I, too, am unworthy to stay! There is no difference between us! Our sins are the same!”

At this, the monk broke down in tears, and Zhouzi, also in tears, embraced him and said, “If you will stay, so also can I.”

After they both had had a good laugh, the monk returned to his duties.

If you're interested in reading more from this series by Scott Bradley, go here. To check out more of Scott's writings, please visit TRT's shadow blog and look in the Table of Contents in the left sidebar.

If in the neighborhood of your camp there should be any hilly country, ponds surrounded by aquatic grass, hollow basins filled with reeds, or woods with thick undergrowth, they must be carefully routed out and searched; for these are places where men in ambush or insidious spies are likely to be lurking.~ from The Art of War, Giles translation ~

Go here to read the introductory post to the verses of The Art of War.

Country in which there are precipitous cliffs with torrents running between, deep natural hollows, confined places, tangled thickets, quagmires and crevasses, should be left with all possible speed and not approached. While we keep away from such places, we should get the enemy to approach them; while we face them, we should let the enemy have them on his rear.~ from The Art of War, Giles translation ~

Go here to read the introductory post to the verses of The Art of War.

If the rulers' trust is insufficientHave no trust in them~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

Trust and respect people.That's how you earn their trust and respect.~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

In common parlance, we could simply say, "What goes around, comes around!"

When life is viewed as a number of self-perpetuating cycles (the day, the seasons, etc.), it's easy to see why putting trust in others will mean that others will have trust us. The action we initiate will loop back.

To view the Index page for this series to see what you may have missed or would like to read again, go here.

When you come to a hill or a bank, occupy the sunny side, with the slope on your right rear. Thus you will at once act for the benefit of your soldiers and utilize the natural advantages of the ground.~ from The Art of War, Giles translation ~

Go here to read the introductory post to the verses of The Art of War.

One of the aspects of fibromyalgia that is hard for non-sufferers to understand is the level of fatigue involved. While, for some, it is a constant hallmark of the disease, for others it comes and goes in periodic flare-ups. I fall in between this spectrum. While my overall energy level has been knocked down several notches by this condition, the floor often drops out from under me during flares.

I've been dealing with a flare-up for the better part of the past month. Aside from sharp, piercing pain that erupts in various parts in my body on any given day, I have been struggling mightily with the fatigue factor. There have been some days when the malaise hasn't been too bad, but there are just as many other days in which doing normal things -- like puttering around the house in my jammies -- is a major undertaking.

Yesterday, for example, I seemed to spend as much time down as up. I slept for nine uninterrupted hours the night before -- a major feat for someone who generally has trouble sleeping. I rolled out of bed at noon. I was up for two and one-half hours, then was back down for a two hour nap. I managed to remain upright for the next 5 hours before heading off to bed at the unheard hour (at least, for me) of 9:30 p.m!

It is difficult to get very much done -- writing on this blog or otherwise -- when your head feels like it's stuck in a fog. No amount of sleep nor rest blows the haze away. During these periods, I often awaken just as tired as when I laid down!! So, I sleep some more and wake up just as fatigued.

In time, this flare-up will subside and I will return to my not-so-fatigued norm. I'm not sharing this info so a bunch of you can leave comments telling me how sorry you are that I must deal with this chronic condition. It is what it is. I may not like it, but I have accepted that it is something I must deal with as best I can -- just like each of you must deal with the life you lead.

Getting all upset about those aspects of life that we cannot change is a waste of energy and a certain mechanism to make us feel more down than we may already feel.

This year we lost the great historian and social commentator, Howard Zinn. Today I will feature 4 interviews conducted with Zinn. For this first one, please note he held out a bit too much "hope" for Barack Obama!

“This morning two of you came to blows about how best to plant potatoes. The melons are the sweetest I have ever tasted. All is well. Another perfect day! Are there questions or things to discuss?”

The hall was silent.

“So many of you are new among us; have you so quickly found repose? Or are you only intimidated by this beetle-browed ‘master’?” Then nodding toward the newest arrival, he said, “Please, Xiu, take my seat and answer their questions while I answer nature’s call.”

Zhouzi left the hall and Xiu took his seat, yet still the hall was silent until one of the eldest played ignorant for them all. “Tell us, Xiu, how is it that when monks exchange blows and wrestle in the garden, that it is still a ‘perfect day’?”

Xiu wriggled, turned red and said, “It is because nothing can deviate from the One. Reality is always and only just what is.”

“The Master would not have said it better!” replied the elder monk. “Only he lives it with all of his being. And thus he wanders in joyful spontaneity. And thus we gather around him, though he tells us we are no different than he.”

“But what of right and wrong?” he continued. “Is it right that we should fight in the garden?”

“In Reality there are no distinctions, only what is, and thus no right and wrong,” answered Xiu. “Yet I cannot help but feel that it is wrong for us to fight, though I know this stands between me and Unity.”

“So new among us, and yet so perspicuous!” exclaimed the elder. “When you have cracked this nut, the gate will stand behind you. When first you arrived, you believed that ‘mountains are mountains’. Now you must learn that ‘mountains are not mountains’. And when you have learned that, mountains will be mountains again. And you, at least, won’t be fighting in the garden.

If you're interested in reading more from this series by Scott Bradley, go here. To check out more of Scott's writings, please visit TRT's shadow blog and look in the Table of Contents in the left sidebar.

Monday, December 27, 2010

Then the chief of the fathers and princes of the tribes of Israel and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the rulers of the king's work, offered willingly, And gave for the service of the house of God of gold five thousand talents and ten thousand drams, and of silver ten thousand talents, and of brass eighteen thousand talents, and one hundred thousand talents of iron.~ King James version ~

Tao has no need for palaces and tabernacles.~ possible Taoist alternative ~

In building the house of the Lord, the rich of Israeli society donate a large measure of precious metals.

Tao does not seek worship nor structures to celebrate Tao's presence. Far from a desire for ornateness, all that is needed to be one with Tao is emptiness. You could just as easily find Tao under a tree as you could in any structure.

I'd like to call your attention to a wonderful article, The Dream of Democracy, posted on Global Research. Here's a portion with a link to read the rest.

Finally it must be recognized that lying is an essential ingredient of statecraft in these times. Governments lie in an attempt to uphold their legitimacy in the hearts of the people.

Democratic governments do not exist. Not in this world. Many attempts have been made, many faltering half-measures. All ultimately have failed to live up to the dream. But the people hold the dream of democracy close to their hearts. The people understand that systems of justice are a sham without democracy. Governments lie in order to create the illusion of democracy so that the people are more willing to comply. Governments create an illusion and then act in ways that advance the political and economic interests of a small group.

This is the political and economic reality of these times.

In the eyes of politicians the people are mere clay to be molded to be compliant to whatever governments do. The people do not understand political realities. The people are incapable of understanding what is in their best interests. The people are worn down by the day-to-day burdens of survival. They do not have the time nor the leisure to cast a critical eye upon the behaviors of their governments. This is exactly where governments want the people to be. Overburdened, distracted, desperate, voiceless, disorganized people are more easily led.

Such a phenomenon as an enlightened populace is possible. Such a phenomenon as a populace with enough leisure time, enough energy left over after the basic necessities of life are met, is quite possible. Already the modern world has the understanding of economic systems that tend to create a society in which the people are relatively content, enlightened and prosperous so that they can be engaged in the political, economic and social issues of the day. An equitable distribution of the wealth of a nation among all the people is a basic necessity of such a society. In such a society the idea of democracy has a chance of coming to fruition.

Why do we not see democratic governments thriving among the nations of the world? It is because, despite the flowery rhetoric about freedom and brotherhood, the world has not yet outgrown totalitarian political and economic ideologies.

Asserting that a totalitarian political and economic ideology still dominates our world suggests that there exists a ruling class. How can it be denied? From country to country one sees ruling families, juntas, crony capitalism, brutal regimes, fat oligarchs amidst vast squalor, domination of the political and economic mechanisms by small, wealthy, entrenched, ruthless, privileged groups.

This is the global ruling class. They are an elite club. They look out for each others' political and economic interests. They lead double lives. They are all double agents. They pretend to serve one master but actually serve an entirely different master. They wear masks. In public they sing of the glories of the idea of democratic governance, of the march toward the liberation of the human race from tyranny and oppression. In private they ridicule such notions, despise the people and seek to manipulate the dumb masses to augment their own power, wealth and prestige.

These are the gods of the ruling class: power, wealth and prestige. They vie with each other to see who can gain the uppermost pinnacle of the global economic pyramid. They all individually seek to make of their own individual selves into a Sun God to whom all the masses bow in adoration.

The very last thing the ruling class wants is to create a political and economic landscape in which the people are well-educated, liberated from the day-to-day grind for survival and engaged in the issues related to their own governance. If the people are thriving, then too much of the wealth of the nations is being squandered. If the people are thriving, then they may grow into such engaged citizens that they challenge the political leadership, make them accountable, demand openness and honesty, infiltrate the entrenched political mechanisms with the attitudes and demands of a true democracy... READ THE REST.

From a certain point of view, it is far better merely to be feared than outright despised. Frequently, those who live in abject fear are paralyzed -- unable/unwilling to challenge. A leader who thoroughly is hated, however, will motivate many to set aside their fear to fight back in some way or manner.

Hate is a very powerful force indeed. It can serve as the impetus for unspeakable acts and atrocities. It can cause good people to do very, very bad things.

But while hate projected outward certainly can cause a person to injure another, the real victim of hate is the one possesses it. Like a cancer, hate has a tendency to multiply and carve out a hollow shell in our inner being. Consequently, a leader who is the catalyst for hate serves as the engine for harmony to be lost.

To view the Index page for this series to see what you may have missed or would like to read again, go here.

In dry, level country, take up an easily accessible position with rising ground to your right and on your rear, so that the danger may be in front, and safety lie behind. So much for campaigning in flat country.~ from The Art of War, Giles translation ~

Go here to read the introductory post to the verses of The Art of War.

This Friday night people will gather together -- many of them quite inebriated -- to welcome in the "new" year. This festive atmosphere is not the property of any one country or region; it is celebrated around the world. (Societies that utilize a different calendar system may have their own celebrations at a different time.)

As with Christmas, I am very ambivalent toward New Year's Eve/New Year's Day. It is not that I disagree with the marking of time (be it an illusion or not), but in my mind's eye, every moment begins a new "year." As I type these words, the second hand has moved a notch or two. If each of us is is still alive, why aren't we celebrating?

If you think about it, life itself calls for celebration. We didn't ask to come into existence, yet here we are. Every nanosecond of being is a miracle. So, why set aside an externally-derived date to whoop it up? Why not stomp and holler for this moment right now?

After a disciple had observed Zhouzi easily silence a deputation of disputatious Confucian scholars, he exclaimed, “Truly master, your way triumphs over every other! Fortunate are we to have you for our teacher!”

“Surrender is our only triumph; any other is just more bondage,” replied Zhouzi. “This way is not a faction, but an all-affirming ‘Yes!’. But you would make it Something and become Someone therein. Yet know that it is empty, and only no one truly walks within.”

If you're interested in reading more from this series by Scott Bradley, go here. To check out more of Scott's writings, please visit TRT's shadow blog and look in the Table of Contents in the left sidebar.

On more than one occasion in the Old Testament, we run into stories in which a king of Israel does something that angers the Lord God and so the heavenly one takes out his wrath on the entire population and not so much on the singular individual who angered him. What kind of twisted sense of judgment is that?

We find one such story in 1 Chronicles, Chapter 21. King David decides to take a census and, for some strange reason, this action really ticks off the Lord. So, does God punish David? Heck no. Instead he gives David three punishments to choose from: 1) A famine, 2) To be defeated by his earthly enemies and 3) To have a disease sweep over the land.

David opts for the third choice and it is reported that 70,000 men (of course, there is NO mention of the number of women and children) die. Interestingly enough, neither David himself nor any member of his family is stricken and he goes down in the annals of Judeo-Christian history as a great man.

Why are the people of Israel punished for their leader's sin? When a king orders something, it's generally not wise to disobey. Kings have been known to kill people who go against their commands. So, the people were simply following the dictates of a king who was anointed by the Lord, yet when he screws up, they are the ones who pay the ultimate price!

And this is a religion of morality?

To see what other questions I've asked about the Christian Bible, go here.

As we continue to explore the works of Lao Tzu, Chuang Tzu and Sun Tzu, I hope you have noticed that many of the issues each dealt with thousands of years ago are not unlike many of the issues we deal with in the 21st Century. While technology keeps advancing, the basic human condition has been remarkably consistent.

John Nichols makes much the same point in comparing Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol to contemporary times. In recounting a portion of the dialogue in which area merchants approach Ebeneezer Scrooge for contributions to help the poor, Nichols writes,

So Dickens began his "A Christmas Carol," a book very much in keeping with the radical tenor of a time when the world was awakening to the truth that poverty and desolation need not be accepted by civil society -- or civilized people. The language employed by Scrooge was not a Dickensian creation; rather, it was a sort of reporting on the political platforms and statements of those who opposed the burgeoning movements for reform and revolution, which were sweeping through Europe as the author composed his ghost tale...

As Nichols aptly points out, there are characters like Scrooge who populate our world today. For example, there were "members of Congress who grumbled on the cusp of this Christmas season about extending jobless benefits for the long unemployed." There are others who bemoan the necessity of a minimum wage, the need for unions to defend worker rights and the notion of universal health care as a basic right.

Dickens was able to turn Scrooge around with "a little otherworldly pressure." Since we don't have that tool at our disposal, what will it take today to turn our Scrooges from self-serving misers into members of the community who care for all?

If you are anxious to fight, you should not go to meet the invader near a river which he has to cross. Moor your craft higher up than the enemy, and facing the sun. Do not move up-stream to meet the enemy. So much for river warfare.~ from The Art of War, Giles translation ~

Go here to read the introductory post to the verses of The Art of War.

After that, there's the leader who is obeyed out of fear.~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

When my wife and I adopted Heidi (now deceased) from the humane society, it readily was apparent that her previous human companion had ruled the roost via abuse. In those first few years, anytime one of us raised our voice or waved our arms in an animated manner, Heidi would cower and run for cover. It seemed that no amount of coaxing would convince her that we meant her no harm.

While using force to get what we want certainly DOES work, the price that those around us pay, is a heavy price indeed. It inhibits them from being in tune with their own internal nature. It blocks them from moving with the flow of life. It stifles creativity and erects a barrier of separation.

Not only do others pay a heavy toll, but we do as well. When others feel constrained from being themselves, we lose out on the opportunities to learn FROM them. More importantly, we lose the ability to form community and, where there is no community, balance and harmony cannot exist.

To view the Index page for this series to see what you may have missed or would like to read again, go here.

When an invading force crosses a river in its onward march, do not advance to meet it in mid-stream. It will be best to let half the army get across, and then deliver your attack.~ from The Art of War, Giles translation ~

Go here to read the introductory post to the verses of The Art of War.

For a lot of people -- particularly children -- December 26 represents a big letdown. After months and months of targeting Christmas Day, it seems to come and go in a flash. Once it is in the rear view mirror, the typical routine of life resumes unabated.

When I was a child, the annual letdown played a big role in my life. I'm fairly certain the letdown for me was greater than it was for others, owing to my uncanny autistic ability for tunnel vision and my generally obsessive personality. In fact, my malaise tended to start around noon of December 25 and lasted until the beginning of February!! It was about that time that my focus would shift to Easter. ;-)

Of course, since I no longer celebrate Christian holidays, I no longer have to worry about such proverbial deflations. Yesterday was a typical day in our household. We traveled to Aberdeen to do some grocery shopping. Later, my wife put in two hours of work with one of her clients. We ate regular meals at usual times and followed the general routine of any Saturday.

A Ch’an master visited the community and spoke with Zhouzi asking, “Master, what is the central message that you teach?”

“Abide some time among us if you will,” answered Zhouzi, “for I teach only what you will see. And I, too, will know the answer when it comes from you.”

Being much taken with what he had already seen, the master agreed to stay. A few weeks later, while they were hoeing side-by-side in the garden, Zhouzi asked him, “So, have you yet discovered what it is I teach?”

The Ch’an master laughed and said, “Not only have you deftly turned my sword, but now I feel its cutting edge! Yet since I must venture to say it, though words can only miss the mark, I will shout it now: All is well!”

“All is well!” shouted Zhouzi.

“All is well!” shouted the Ch’an master.

If you're interested in reading more from this series by Scott Bradley, go here. To check out more of Scott's writings, please visit TRT's shadow blog and look in the Table of Contents in the left sidebar.

Sun Tzu said: We come now to the question of encamping the army, and observing signs of the enemy. Pass quickly over mountains, and keep in the neighborhood of valleys. Camp in high places, facing the sun. Do not climb heights in order to fight. So much for mountain warfare. After crossing a river, you should get far away from it.~ from The Art of War, Giles translation ~

Go here to read the introductory post to the verses of The Art of War.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

OK, by now almost everyone knows that the US government is out to get WikiLeaks because our leaders don't like government secrets being revealed. It's a lot harder to dupe your citizens and the world abroad if everyone suspects you are lying in the first place! But the internet poses an even greater threat to another institution, an institution that believes itself to be more powerful than any government.

What they don't understand is that we're not just leaving because church services aren't hip enough or because their sermons against homosexuality are just a little too harsh; we're leaving because we've discovered that when it comes to biology, geography and history, our conservative pastors and holy texts are dead wrong. It's important to recognize the role that the Internet plays in our abandoning doctrine for disbelief...

In olden days, it was far easier to shield curious eyes and inquisitive minds. It's far easier to hide or ban books and magazines that don't pass official muster. But the internet!!

Almost anything a person wants to know about a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g is just a mouse click away. Generations of lies can be dispatch with in mere seconds. And with so many different types of devices that now can access the world wide web, it's near impossible to keep information -- accurate or dubious -- away from inquiring minds.

Of course, both the hierarchal institutions of government and religion are painfully aware of the d-a-n-g-e-r the internet poses. So don't be surprised if the two of them join forces to try to bring it under "control". Ill-informed people are far easier to control and manipulate. Both the government and religion thrive on docile sheep, ready to be led over a cliff, if necessary!